Baking soda: For cooking, cleaning, and kidney health?

July 16th, 2009 in Medicine & Health / Diseases

A daily dose of sodium bicarbonate -- baking soda, already used for baking,
cleaning, acid indigestion, sunburn, and more -- slows the decline of
kidney function in some patients with advanced chronic kidney disease
(CKD), reports an upcoming study in the Journal of the American Society
of Nephrology (JASN). "This cheap and simple strategy also improves
patients' nutritional status, and has the potential of translating into
significant economic, quality of life, and clinical outcome benefits,"
comments Magdi Yaqoob, MD (Royal London Hospital).

The study included 134 patients with advanced CKD and low bicarbonate levels, also
called metabolic acidosis. One group received a small daily dose of sodium bicarbonate
in tablet form, in addition to their usual care. For this group, the rate of decline in
kidney function was greatly reduced—about two-thirds slower than in patients. "In fact,
in patients taking sodium bicarbonate, the rate of decline in kidney function was similar
to the normal age-related decline," says Yaqoob.

Rapid progression of kidney disease occurred in just nine percent of patients taking
sodium bicarbonate, compared to 45 percent of the other group. Patients taking sodium
bicarbonate were also less likely to develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring
dialysis.

Patients taking sodium bicarbonate also had improvement in several measures of

nutrition. Although their sodium levels went up, this didn't lead to any problems with
increased blood pressure.

Low bicarbonate levels are common in patients with CKD and can lead to a wide range
of other problems. "This is the first randomized controlled study of its kind," says
Yaqoob. "A simple remedy like sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), when used
appropriately, can be very effective."

The researchers note some important limitations of their study—there was no placebo
group and the researchers were aware of which patients were receiving sodium
bicarbonate. "Our results will need validation in a multicenter study," says Yaqoob.
The study entitled, Bicarbonate Supplementation Slows Progression of CKD and
Improves Nutritional Status will appear online at http://jasn.asnjournals.org/ on July
16, 2009, doi 10.1681/ASN.2008111205.

Source: American Society of Nephrology (news : web)

"Baking soda: For cooking, cleaning, and kidney health?." July 16th, 2009.
http://www.physorg.com/news166986646.html